Liverpool Sound And Vision Rating 9/10

Lie Back And Think Of England, think of all the country has aspired to be, the good it has done, the accountable hardship and desecration it has poured on others, how would your montage be perceived, how would your vision of the country appear.

Think of England, think of Britain, especially when it comes to the arts, the voices that have shaped, the expressions that have given rise to hope, the declarations that have created hope and it is in the music of the mighty, the ones with a glint in their eye and a purpose to provide that hope that stands out.

Liverpool’s Barry Briercliffe may have been quiet on the new music front for a while, but that is not to say he has not been busy, plugging away behind the scenes, observing what has been going on in the world, what has been plaguing the country, especially as it quite willingly seems to be tearing itself apart at the seams. However, in the observation of the damage, that doesn’t mean you cannot put a smile on the face of others, put a large dose of hope back into the minds of those who suffering, and no matter what, Barry Briercliffe has the means and the aptitude to caress a vocal and lyric with such care that you cannot but help admire the song he creates.

Lie Back And Think Of England, the imagery is one of dedication, a reminder of what we have seen done in our collective name, the once audacious fear turned in on itself, the collective will of some to harm made more acute, and yet throughout it all, Barry Briercliffe sums it up with a song that is brutally frank but unremittingly catchy; a rainbow against the backdrop of the forever storm should just be as celebrated.

A welcome return to the original music fold, and ahead of promised new music in 2020 is just the right moment in which to lick the lips of excitement of a future when laying back and thinking of England will be one to be embarrassed about. A wonderful single in which to herald the return of Barry Briercliffe to your heart and ears.

Ian D. Hall